The Mid-Atlantic Apple & Macintosh User Groups Team (MaMUGs) will become The Apple Groups Team (TAGteam). The mission continues to be offering support to even more of those organizations that both want and need the assistance; however, the organization now includes developers, vendors, manufacturers, resellers and Apple retailers as well to help build more of the types of relationships that continue to be the foundation of the organization.

MaMUGs grows to become The Apple Groups Team as a User Groups and Vendors network
[Spring House, PA]: Randy Decker, Vice-President of The Mid-Atlantic Apple & Macintosh User Groups Team (MaMUGs) stated today, “As I’m sure you are aware, we had an outstanding year in 2004 with huge growth in membership.” Growth that includes MUGs (Apple and Macintosh User Groups) throughout the U.S.A., the UK and The Philippines, the addition of Dennis Sellers (Macsimum News, MacMinute, MacCentral, Macworld) to our board of directors, larger and expanded coverage from the Mac-media, new presentations, expanded remote iChat and LiveChannel video presentations and great support from “Preferred Provider” vendor programs.
Decker continues, “That being said, we are also listening to user group leaders and vendors about what they’d like from us and, without question, the focus of those comments thus far is on having more vendor support, technical support and group promotions. We are very happy to be able to respond to those wishes now.”
THE NEWS:
Effective on March 1, 2005, and after more than a year of planning, The Mid-Atlantic Apple & Macintosh User Groups Team (MaMUGs) will become The Apple Groups Team (TAGteam). The mission continues to be offering support to even more of those organizations that both want and need the assistance; however, the organization now includes developers, vendors, manufacturers, resellers and Apple retailers as well to help build more of the types of relationships that continue to be the foundation of the organization.
OUR MEMBERS TOLD US:
The Apple Groups Team will focus on the things that so many of our members told us were the priorities for their user groups. Not group management or methods – there are some excellent resources already available for those needs – but they’ve asked for the product information, presentations and promotions that many companies simply cannot afford to provide. We are so proud of our successful relationships with some of the best developers, vendors, manufacturers and resellers that we want them to be more a part of our efforts than ever- especially since so many of them either started out in a user group or are actively involved with them already.
WE’RE NOT APPLE:
“As has always been our policy,” Decker continues, “we forward the great product information and product specials directly to Lorene Romero, Apple’s vendor liaison for user groups, once we have had the chance to both enjoy the exclusive benefits to our members, AND to help debug or comment on the products and services we offer to our members.” This helps to insure that products and promotions are, in fact, ready – and most are – to reach the largest possible audience. To that end, please notify The Apple Groups Team of any great startup product in the community or a member who is developing something that you feel is appropriate to share with everyone.
Our programs and offerings are IN ADDITION to those offered for MUGs by Apple and other fine user group organizations and, as mentioned, eventually may be considered as part of those offered through the User Groups Program at their discretion only, of course. TAGteam is not affiliated with Apple Computer, but we love Apple!
WHY WE DO IT:
Like most user group members and leaders, everyone at The Apple Groups Team volunteers their time and energy to support user groups. As it has always been, ALL of our efforts, programs and, of course, memberships are 100% FREE of charge to everyone involved – including the user groups, the vendors, resellers, manufacturers, developers, etc.. We will continue to support and assist those groups with coordination of larger events, collective group meetings and conferences with our planning team and assistance as YOU feel it is appropriate.
The key for us continues to be supporting those groups that both want and need what TAGteam has to offer. Having said that, TAGteam may not be right for every group. We trust you, as a user group leader, to know your own board members, membership base and the needs of your particular group. I’d like to encourage you to forward this letter to your board members and let us know your thoughts as we work with you to provide more of what your group(s) want and need.
What we do not encourage is membership simply to get “free stuff.” Certainly, there will be those benefits, special offers and promotions available; however, many of the actual product giveaways and “raffle” items will be reserved for those groups we visit in person or via iChat AV/LiveChannel as we’ve done in the past. Of course, our 1AppleFreeTech support site will continue as well as our “news you can use” and product reviews for your newsletters, meetings and so on.
QUOTES FROM OUR PARTNERS:
“As our new products are developed and released, we know that Mac users will hear about them and give us their feedback through the team at TAGteam. It is an organization that works with us by providing information from ‘the trenches’ to apply as we develop better products based on the needs of the real-life users and to better understand our customers through user groups.” – Rick Estes, President/QuickerTek, Inc.
“Since our earliest release of Slick Volume 1, the people behind TAGteam have supported our products and increased our visibility to the user group community and the media.” – Bruce Gee, President/GeeThree Software
“Thanks to the enthusiastic support of the people behind TAGteam, we’ve seen a tenfold increase in the usage of our product, with new users added daily. Because of this high profile exposure to so many Mac User Groups, we’ve been able to utilize the feedback from them as we continue to make Yasu an outstanding product that responds to our customers’ needs.” – Jim Mitchell, President/Jim Mitchell Designs – YASU
“Working with the TAGteam staff since their earliest days has helped us reach a new audience, and to hear from that audience, with regard to our products. As a professional audio company, it was never our original intent to have such a great involvement in the user groups community, but we are thrilled by the visibility that has come from it. TAGteam demystifies the technologies for its members and has helped our business find a larger audience.” – Marty Garcia, President/Future Sonics, Inc.
“We rely on Mac User Groups to stay in touch with the Mac community and we rely on the people at TAGTeam to stay in touch with Mac User Groups. TAGTeam helps us meet, understand and communicate with the Macintosh opinion leaders who support our efforts to provide first class software for the Macintosh platform.” – Michael Herrick/Matterform Media
In addition, The Apple Groups Team would like to thank the following organizations for their support in this effort:
Innovative Technologies Incorporated
Peachpit Press
O’Reilly Media
MacXware
Micromat
Delicious Monster
HISTORY:
Originally founded by Daniel M. East with support from several local user group leaders in 1997 as “The Delaware Valley Macintosh User Groups” in suburban Philadelphia, PA with the concept of bringing multiple user groups together for more vendor-based & cost-effective presentations and community events, the organization evolved into “The Tri-State MUG Team” in 1999, “The Mid-Atlantic Apple & Macintosh User Groups Team” in 2002 (with growth in membership to more than sixty groups throughout the U.S., U.K. and beyond), and now becoming The Apple Groups Team welcoming all user groups, vendors, manufacturers, developers, resellers and Apple retailers. The mission: Helping to provide cooperation, collective efforts, camaraderie and FUN for everyone – 100% FREE of charge.
So, on behalf of our entire board of directors, The Apple Groups Team thanks each of you who support user group programs, the individual user groups and MaMUGs as we move forward to become The Apple Groups Team.
The Apple Groups Team Board of Directors:
Daniel M. East, Founder/President
Randy Decker, Vice-President
James O. (Jim) Anderson, Public Relations
Jacki Moore, Treasurer/Events Coordinator
Gail M. Murphy, Program Administrator
Dennis Sellers, Technologies Director
(formerly The Mid-Atlantic Apple/Macintosh User Groups Team, Tri-State MUG Team, Delaware Valley MUGs)